Driving arrangement for rail vehicles, especially high output self-propelled rail vehicles

ABSTRACT

A driving arrangement, especially for a high performance rail vehicle having at least two independant sources of power and at least two driven axles and a power transmission connecting said sources of power with said axles and adjustable so that when only one source of power is operating it will supply power to a greater number of axles than when both sources of power are operating.

O 1 United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,729,933 Knebel 1 May 1, 1973 54DRIVING ARRANGEMENT FOR RAIL 2,630,871 3 1953 Simpkins ..60/97 BVEHICLES, ESPECIALLY HIGH 2,911,541 10/1959 Neufville et al.... .....2904 R OUTPUT SELEPROPELLED RAIL 3,197,962 8/9165 Suttles ..60/97 BVEHICLES 3,388,684 6/1968 Gros et a1. 1. ..60/11 X 3,512,277 5/1970Stuller ..60/97 X [75] Inventor: Alfred Knebel, 43 Essen-Bredeney,

Germany FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee: Fried. KruppGesellschaft mit 209,111 1924 Great Britain ..60/l02 beschrankterHaftung, Essen, Germany Primary Examiner--Martin P. Schwadron [22]Filed: Nov 12 1970 Assistant Examiner-Allen M. Ostrager Attorney-WalterBecker [21] Appl. No.: 88,855

' [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A drivingarrangement, especially for a high per 12, 1969 Germany p 19 56 742formance rail vehicle having at least two independant sources of powerand at least two driven axles and a [52] US. Cl ..60/102 power tran mision connecting s i sources of power [51] Int. Cl ..F0ld 13/00 with saidaxles and adjustable so that when only one [58] Field of Search ..60/97,102; 290/4; source of power is operating it will supply power to a180/54 C; 105/130, 26 D, 34 P greater number of axles than when bothsources of power are operating. [56] References Cited 6 Claims, 10Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,641,253 9/1927 Donon ..105/34 P22b 19b 78b 22b ill a H 20019 200 2Io 2, at" 770 i e g 22g Patented May1, 1973 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 E moEm lnvenmr ,4//re q 0-6 0/ J,

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Patented May 1 1973 3,729,933

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. m mm fi mm 8 Q@ am 5 Q9 Q5 5 m Patented May 1, 1973 10 Sheets-Sheet 9Inventor: lfedfzreze/ DRIVING ARRANGEMENT FOR RAIL VEHICLES, ESPECIALLYHIGH OUTPUT SELF-PROPELLED RAIL VEHICLES The present invention relatesto a driving arrangement for rail vehicles, especially for high outputselfpropelled rail vehicles which comprise at least two driving unitsindependent of each other, a power conveying installation composed ofmechanical, hydraulic or electrical components or combinations of suchcomponents, and at least two driven axles.

With heretofore known driving systems of the above mentioned type forrail vehicles, it is, in view of the non-variable power flow between thedriving units and the driven axles during operation, possible to bringabout a change in the pulling force at the circumference of theindividual driving wheels only by changing the driving output of theindividual driving units, but it is not possible to obtain such changeby distributing the non-varying driving power of a driving unit alsoover such axles which, while simultaneously taking in another drivingunit for developing the traction power are driven only by the latter.

With the ratio customary for most self-propelled rail vehicles driven byinternal combustion engines, between the driving power and the axlepressure of the driven axles, the velocity range in which the pullingforce at full driving power is located above the friction limit of thevehicle is, in most instances, low and can be passed through by thevehicle in a short period of time. Moreover, with such vehicles, asdriving engines, primarily Diesel engines, are employed, the specificfuel consumption of which remains within economically permissible limitsfor all partial load ranges which are feasible for the vehicle and canbe controlled in fine steps without great expenses.

With self-propelled rail vehicles with particularly high driving power,and particularly withsuch selfpropelled rail vehicles which are employedfor speeds that must be considerably higher than presently customaryspeeds, the axle pressures must be considerably reduced over slowervehicles in order also for these vehicles to be able to use as much ofthe present rail network as possible without expensive reconstruction ofthe upper structure.

The ratio between the driving power and the axle pressure, which ratiodetermines the width of the velocity range in which the pulling force atfull driving power of all driving units exceeds the friction limit will,therefore, with high speed, high output, self-propelled rail vehicles,increase considerably over the presently customary values. This is duein the first place to the increase in the driving power, and secondlydue to the reduction of the axle pressure. As a result thereof, thevelocity limit above which it is only possible to convert the fulldriving power for the driving wheels into pulling forces without thedanger of wheelslip will be placed already into a range in which themaximum speeds of many present self-propelled rail vehicles are locatedand in which also high speed, high output vehicles, already due to thecommon use of the rail network for considerably slower vehicles have tomove, and not only for a short period of time.

Inasmuch as for high output self-propelled rail vehicles driven byinternal combustion engines, driving installations including gasturbines are, for reasons of weight, employed from certain maximumspeeds on, it will be appreciated that within the velocity range inwhich it is not possible to convey the full output of the drivinginstallation to the rail, the specific fuel consumption of the gasturbine in the partial load stages is decisive for judging the economyof the driving installation. It is a well-known fact that the specificfuel consumption of the gas turbine in partial load stages is relativelyhigh.

The unfavorable partial load behavior of a gas turbine from start tothat velocity above which the full driving power of the individualdriving units can be safely taken advantage of without danger ofshimmying and regardless of the weather, would therefore result inrather high fuel consumption with high speed gas turbine self-propelledrail vehicles which have a high output and which are equipped with knowndriving systems, characterized by the association of the driven axles(non-variable with regard to power flow) to the individual units of thedriving installation.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome theabove mentioned drawbacks by the provision of a driving system which,above all, will be suitable for only low axle pressure permitting gasturbine self-propelled rail vehicles which have a high driving power andhigh speed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a driving system asset forth in the preceding paragraph which will take full advantage ofthe friction weight of all driven axles even when the number of theunits making up the driving installation and taking part in the tractionis reduced.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a driving systemas referred to in the preceding paragraphs which will result in afavorable fuel consumption over the entire velocity range.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a heretofore known driving system with hydraulicpower transfer and the employment of gas turbines.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a driving system according to thepresent invention, in which the driving engines may have associatedtherewith various driven axles.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a driving system according to the presentinvention with electric power transfer.

FIGS. 5 to 10 respectively illustrate further embodiments anddevelopments of the present invention over the embodiment of FIG. 2,which latter merely shows the basic principle of the invention.

More specifically, FIG. 5 shows an embodiment which differs from thedriving system of FIG. 2 by the employment of a current supplyinstallation, a flexible shaft and a driving shaft.

FIG. 6 shows the hydrodynamic embodiment of FIG. 2 supplemented by ahydraulic traction auxiliary drive.

FIG. 7 shows a slight modification of FIG. 6 by replacing the branchcoupling employed in the embodiment of FIG. 6 by a torque converter.

The arrangement of FIG. 8 difiers from that of FIG. 6 primarily in thatthe branch coupling has been replaced by a first torque converter drivenby a gas turbine, and

supplemented by a second torque converter driven by another gas turbine.

FIG. 9 differs from FIGS. 2, and 6, in that the branch coupling which insaid figures is driven-by one intermediate shaft is, according to FIG.9, driven by a different intermediate shaft.

FIG. shows a modification with hydraulic power transfer system which issubdivided in two transmission units and differs from FIG. 2 primarilywith regard to the torque transferring elements of the output from thetorque converter and from the coupling to an intermediate shaft.

The above outlined objects have been realized by a suitable arrangementof mechanical hydraulic or electric torque converters and/or couplingsand other transmission parts or devices which are suitable fordistribution and/or branching off of mechanically, hydraulically, orelectrically transmitted traction power, by means of which the powerflow connection of the driven axles to the individual independentdriving units may, during operation, be varied in such a way that alldriven axles of the vehicle which when the driving installation fullytakes part in the traction are in the maximum speed range as to theirpower flow associated with the independent units of said installationwhile under load, but are adapted when disengaging of one or more ofsaid driving units, to be driven by the driving unit or units whichfurther take part in the traction.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the main feature of theinvention, namely, the change in the connection of the power flow of thedriven axles with regard to the independent units of the drivinginstallation depending on their involvement in the traction is firstemphasized by a comparison of a heretofore known driving systemdiagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 with the hydraulic transferringsystem for rail vehicles diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2.

With the driving system illustrated in FIG. 1 and characteristic forheretofore known arrangements with hydraulic power transfer, the drivingpower developed by the gas turbines 1a and lb is conveyed to the drivenaxles 22a, 22b through the intervention of two power paths which arecompletely independent of each other.

The first power flow path or strand a, which starts at the gas turbinela, passes with the driving direction which gives the shortest powerflow and which is described here for the sake of simplicity, through thejoint shaft 2a, transmission drive shaft 3a, gears 40 and 5a,hydrodynamic torque converter 60 in the lower velocity range orhydrodynamic coupling 8a in the upper velocity range, intermediate shaft9a, direction control sleeve 14a (in engagement with 15a), pair of gears15a and 16a, transmission output shaft 170, joint shaft 18a,distributing transmission 19a, joint shafts 20a, axle drive 21a, to thedriven axles 22a, and at the circumference of the driving wheels isconverted into pulling power.

The second power flow path or strand b which in the entire velocityrange is symmetrical with the above described first power path flow orstrand 0, but is completely separate therefrom passes from the gasturbine lb through elements designated with the same reference numeralsas used in connection with the first power flow path, but with thecharacter b instead of a, to the driven axles 2212. It should be notedthat merely for a better illustration the driving wheels of the axles22b and 22a in FIG. 1 and similarly in FIGS. 2, 5-10 are laterallyofiset but that actually they move on the same track as shown in FIGS. 3and 4 for the driving wheels ofthe axles 113a and 1l3b.

As will be seen from FIG. 1, with the arrangement shown thereinrepresenting the heretofore characteristic driving system, there doesnot exist the possibility to transfer the driving power of the gasturbine la additionally to the axles 22b when the gas turbine lb doesnot take part in the traction. This is due to the fact that the axles22a are not changeably associated with the gas turbine 1a, and the axles22b are not changeably associated with the gas turbine lb.

For designating those parts of the driving system in FIG. 2 whichproblem-wise and function-wise correspond to the parts of FIG. 1, thesame reference numerals have been used as in FIG. 1. The flow strand orflow paths designations a and b taken from FIG. 1 also into FIG. 2 referto parts which in both systems appear, whereas the reference numeralswithout index in FIG. 2 characterize only such parts which differentiatethe invention from the known system of FIG. 1. These parts are thehydrodynamic torque converter 7, the hydrodynamic coupling 10 and gearsl 1, 12 and 13.

The new driving system illustrated in FIG. 2 with variable associationof the driven axles with the driving engine operated in the followingmanner: Within the lower velocity range, only the power of the gasturbine 1a is employed for the traction. The power flow starting fromthe gas turbine passes through joint shaft 2a, main transmission drivingshaft 3a, pair of gears 4a and 5a to the hydrodynamic torque converters6a and 7 which distribute the driving power conveyed thereto to thedriven axles 22a and 22b in such a way that one strand of the power flowbranching out at the gear 5a passes from the latter to the hydrodynamictorque converter 6a and from there through the intermediate shaft 9a,direction control sleeve 14a, (in engagement with 15a), pair of gears15a and 16a, transmission output shaft 17a, joint shaft 18a,distributing transmission 19a, joint shafts 20a, axle drive 21a to theaxles 22a. The second strand passes from gear 5a to the hydrodynamictorque converter 7 and through gears 11, 12, 13, intermediate shaft 9b,direction control sleeve 14b (in engagement with 15b), pair of gears 15band 16b, main transmission output shaft 17b, joint shaft 18b,distributing transmission 19b, joint shafts 20b and axle drive 21b tothe axles 22b.

In view of the distribution of the driving output of the gas turbine 1ato two commonly driven torque converters 6a and 7 which are only on theprimary side rigidly connected to each other, there is realized alikewise common drive of the axles 22a and 22b. However, the drives ofthese axles are independent of each other and are elastic. and the axles22a and 22b are interconnected only through the hydraulic circuits ofthe torque converters 6a and 7. This driving system has, over the systemof FIG. 1, the great advantage that the pulling force developed by thegas turbine 1a can be distributed over twice the number of driven axlesas is the case in FIG. 1.

Assuming the same friction surfaces and further assuming that thatsection of the velocity range is involved in which the pulling forceproduced by the gas turbine 1a is above the friction limit of thevehicle, or assuming that with pulling forces below the friction limit,the driving power of the gas turbine la is sufficient to overcome thetraction resistance (which in the power class of high speed gas turbineself-propelled vehicles may be assumed up to the presently prevailingmaximum velocity ranges of self-propelled Diesel vehicles), theinvention makes it possible that in view of the distribution of the samepulling force to double the number of driven axles, the gas turbine 1awhen alone in operation will be able to furnish a traction power whichis twice as high as the traction power developed by the gas turbines 1aand lb in common of the FIG. 1 system which gas turbines of FIG. 1 haveboth to work in the same low partial stage in view of the fact thatpower flow-wise they cannot be variably connected to the axles 22a, 22band therefore in the selected section of the velocity range cannotindividually exceed the 50 percent partial load stage.

In addition to the important economic advantage that with the same totalpower development of the installation, the invention permits theoperation with a smaller number of gas turbines in higher and thereforemore economical partial load stages than the system of FIG. 1 whichoperates with the greater number of gas turbines in lower partial loadstages and therefore in specific fuel consumption ranges which are lessfavorable, it will be appreciated that from the distribution of the samepulling force to a greater number of driven en axles, the new drivingsystem has the advantage that when increasing the pulling force byincreasing the traction power delivered by the gas turbine, the stepsprovided for the control of the gas turbine may be greater in order toconvey the same increase in pulling power per axle to the rail than isthe case with a distribution to a few axles.

The greater steps made possible by the invention in the partial loadstages to be controlled of the gas tur bine which at the wheelcircumference result in the same pulling force stages, as the fine stagecomparative system to be controlled will permit a simpler and therebyless expensive control devices for the control of the gas turbine andwill greatly increase the economy of such vehicles.

The above outlined advantages of the new driving system of FIG. 2 arenot limited merely to the lower velocity range which in view of thehydraulic circuits involved may also be termed the converter range. Alsoin the upper velocity range to which in the embodiment -for thehydraulic power transfer the coupling range corresponds, circumstancesmay occur which for instance when pulling shorter and lighter trains, orduring a downward drive, or when an excess in acceleration reservesoccur may reduce the requirement as to traction power considerably tosuch an extent that for the movement of the train, the driving power ofthe gas turbine 1a may also be sufficient for the maximum velocityrange. By the power branching system, as will be described furtherbelow, the invention also makes it possible that the traction power ofthe gas turbine la in such instance also during coupling operation willbe distributed onto all axles of the vehicle which means onto the axles22a and 22b in FIG. 2 in the same manner as in the converter rangewhereby all advantages of the complete exploitation of the frictionweight can apply to the entire velocity range and to all load instances.I

In such an instance, the power flow in FIG. 2 passes from the gasturbine la through the joint shaft 2a, main transmission-driving shaft3a, pair of gears 40 and 5a, and through the hydrodynamic coupling 8awhich transmits the entiredriving output: of the gas turbine, to theintermediate shaft 9a. From the intermediate shaft 9a there is branchedoff a portion of the power developed by the gas turbine 1a (in thisexample expediently half the power developed by the gas turbine la).This branching off is effected by the hydrodynamic coupling Ill which isdriven by said intermediate shaft 90. The thus branched-off power is,through gears 11, 12 and 13, furnishing a corresponding transmissionratio passed onto the intermediate shaft 9b. The intermediate shafts 9aand 9b will each transmit half the traction power delivered by the gasturbine la and convey the same through direction control sleeve 14a (inengagement with 15a), pair of gears 15a and 16a, main transmissionoutput shaft 17a, joint shaft 18a, distributing transmission 19a, jointshafts 20a, and axle transmission 21a to the axles 22a and furthermoreis conveyed through direction control sleeve 14b (in engagement with15b), gear pairs 15b and 16b, main transmission output shaft 171;, jointshaft 18b, distributing transmission ll9b, joint shafts 20b, and axletransmission 21b to the axles 22b.

The load conditions as described so far in the lower as well as in theupper velocity range results in a power flow-wise association of alldriven axles 22a and 22b in FIG. 2 with the gas turbine la while the gasturbine 1b did not develop any traction power. When both gas turbines 1aand 1b take part in the development of the traction which is providedonly in the upper velocity range, it will be appreciated that by achange in the circuit of the working hydraulic circuits, alsoautomatically a change in the power flow-wise association of the drivenaxles occurs so that the axles 22a of the gas turbine la and the axles22b of the gas turbine 1b will be coordinated in the same manner as isthe case with the known system of FIG. 1 within all velocity ranges. Thetransfer of the driving power from the gas turbine In to the axles 22ais effected through the intervention of joint shaft 2a, transmissiondriving shaft 3a, gear pairs 4a and 5a, hydrodynamic coupling 8a,intermediate shaft 9a, direction control sleeve 14a in engagement withgear pair 15a and 16a, transmission output shaft 17a, joint shaft 18a,distributing transmission 19a, joint shafts 20a, and axle transmission21a. Independently of this power flow, the driving power of the gasturbine lb is conveyed onto the axles 22b through the intervention ofthe joint shaft 2b, transmission shaft 3b, pair of gears 4b, 5b,hydrodynamic coupling 8b, intermediate shaft 9b, direction controlsleeve 14b (in engagement with 15b), pair of gears 15b and 16b,transmission output shaft 1712, joint shaft 18b, distributingtransmission 19b, joint shafts 20b and axle transmission 21b.

The modification according to the present invention, as illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4, refers to a drive system with electric power transfer.Since with regard to the type and number of driving motors and thecurrent supply systems therefor, numerous combinations are feasible, thepresent invention will be limited only to the illustration of the mainunits of the electric power transfer installation in the form of ageneral block showing and the pertaining function kept rather general.The coordination of the driven axles 113a and 11311 to a gas turbinewhich alone develops the driving power, its illustrated in FIG. 3 insolid heavy lines. The generator 103a which is driven by the gas turbine1a, through the intervention of the joint shaft 102a, feeds the drivemotors 108a and l08b of the axle groups 1 13a and 113b through thecontrol and regulating means 104a which, depending on the type of thecurrent supply, may also be considered as current converter or inverter,and through the intervention of the distributor group 105. With thedisconnection switch 106a and the current supply installation a and thegroup disconnection switch 107 in closed position while thedisconnection switch 106b of the current supply installation b is open,the drive motors 108a and 108b will, as illustrated in FIG. 3, be fedonly by the generator 103a, and will drive the axles 113a through thejoint shaft 109a, distributing transmission 110a, joint shaft 111a, andaxle transmission 112a and respectively through the joint 109b,distributing transmission 110b, joint shaft 1 11b and axle transmission1 12b. The drive of the axles 113a and 113b may also be effected only bythe gas turbine llb and the current supply of the drive motors 108a and108b may be effected through the generator 103b through the control andregulating installation l04b when the disconnection switch 1060 of thecurrent supply installation a is open and the group disconnection switch107 as well as the disconnection switch l06b of the current supplyinstallation b are closed.

If the power of one gas turbine is no longer sufficient for moving thevehicle and the train connected thereto and when the friction conditionspermit the adding of the second gas turbine to the power supply, thecurrent supply of the drive motors 108a and 108b is as indicated in FIG.4 by heavy lines, separated from each other by opening switch 107, as aresult of which, the axles 113a of the gas turbine 101a and the axles 113b of the gas turbine 101b will be coordinated with each other powerflow-wise.

The change in the power flow coordination of the driven axles with thegas turbines as driving engines and the driving motors with thegenerators could expediently be effected by using devices which are alsosimultaneously usable for other purposes and which could be suitable forclosing and interrupting of circuits, for instance, relays of drivemotors.

The embodiments with a hydrodynamic and an electric power transmissiontake, for the sake of simplicity, into consideration only drivingarrangements comprising two gas turbines and two axle groups with twodriven axles each. An increase in the number ofgas turbines and/or axlegroups, for instance, by the drive of axle groups or individual axlesoutside the selfpropelled vehicle and/or increase in the number of thedriven axles per axle group in the selfpropelled vehicle would notaffect the employment of the new drive system over comparable heretoforeknown systems.

The embodiment according to FIG. 2 illustrates a hydrodynamic powertransmission with a converter and a coupling stage. The change in thenumber of these hydraulic circuits which have to be designed inconformity with the individual sections of the velocity range, or theemployment of additional coupling stages or converter stages instead ofcoupling stages would be possible with the driving system according tothe invention without any dIffiCUIIiCS.

In the embodiment for the electric power transmission, a group drivemotor has been taken into consideration in FIGS. 3 and 4 for each axlegroup. The employment of the drive system according to the inventionwith individual drive would also be possible by correspondingdisconnecting switch combinations without encountering any difficulties.

FIGS. 5 to illustrate further embodiments for the further development ofthe hydrodynamic example of FIG. 2 which merely shows the basicprinciple of the invention.

The embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIG. 5 differs fromthe drive system of FIG. 2 in that the drive system of FIG. 2 has beensupplemented by the elements designated with the reference numerals 31,32 and 33. The auxiliary machine or machine group or the current supplyinstallation 31 for supplying current to auxiliary devices isoperatively connected to the intermediate shaft 9b through theintervention of the joint shaft 32, the drive shaft 33, and gears 12 and13. Inasmuch as the intermediate shaft 9b of self-propelled vehiclesready for operation is connected to the rail through the directioncontrol sleeve 14b (in engagement with 1517), pair of gears 15b, 16b,transmission output shaft 17b, joint shaft 18b, distributingtransmission 19b, joint shafts 20b, axle transmission 21b and axles 22band, independently of the driving direction of the vehicle always hasthe same direction of rotation, the said intermediate shaft 9b issuitable for driving auxiliary machines which have to be driven onlywhen the vehicle is in motion or which auxiliary devices have to bedriven under all circumstances when the vehicle is in motion, butdriving machines necessary for traction are inoperative. Such auxiliarymachines may be blowers or ventilators necessary for withdrawing theheat caused by a hydrodynamic braking operation.

In view of the connection between the joint shaft 32 and the axles 22bfor effecting a torque transter, the device 31 may also represent anauxiliary driving machine for the traction.

FIG. 6 illustrates the hydrodynamic example of FIG. 2 supplemented by ahydraulic traction auxiliary drive. The internal combustion engine 23which is primarily provided for the drive of the auxiliary machine ofthe train and for the electric train heating system or the airconditioning installation may, within certain velocity ranges, forinstance, during movements within the areas of railroads, be used forthe traction. To this end, the system illustrated in FIG. 6 issupplemented by a hydrodynamic torque converter 28 which is driven bythe combustion engine 23 through the intervention of joint shaft 24,drive shaft 25 and pair of gears 26, 27. The output of the converter 28and the connection with the gear 11 which drive the axles 22b asdescribed above is effected through the gears 29 and 30. This connectionof the output of the converter 28 (driven by the auxiliary drivingmachine 23) to the gear 11 which also represents the output member ofthe converter 7 driven by the gas turbine 1a permits the superimposingof the power delivered by the auxiliary drive for the traction over thepower portion developed or furnished by the gas turbine 1a, which powerportion is transmitted by the converter 7.

The superimposing of the torques resulting from these power portions orcomponents will, over the major portion of the velocity range involvedfor such superimposing, with not too great auxiliary machine powersemployable for the traction, bring about a more favorable distributionof the pulling force over the trucks than would be the case with thesame combination of the driving machine but without the employment ofthe invention, if the total power of onetgas turbine were distributed toone truck and the power of the auxiliary driving machine weredistributed over the other truck.

With great outputs of the auxiliary driving machines which are employedfor the traction within a limited velocity range, it may, however, forinstance also occur that the separate drive of the axles 22b by theauxiliary machine 23 and the separate drive of the axles 22a by the gasturbine 1a bring about a more favorable distribution of the pullingforce. If, in such an instance, the advantages of the branch coupling10, effective in the upper velocity range, are not necessary or desired,it is possible instead to provide a converter 34 as illustrated in FIG.7. The converter 34 which when the converter 7 is not operating, istogether with the converter 6a driven by the gas turbine la through thejoint shaft 2a, transmission driving shaft 3a, pair of gears 4a and 5a,will transmit the driving power to the intermediate shaft 9a from wherethe entire driving power of the gas turbine la is conveyed to the axles22a. In view of the fact that converter 7 is not filled, the output 11,12, 13

conveys only the power of the tractionauxiliary driving machine 23 ontothe intermediate shaft 9b which latter will then drive the axles 22b.

With vehicles requiring a rather high pulling force within the converterrange and under favorable friction conditions, the driving power of bothgas turbines la and lb may be employed for the developing of the pullingforce when, as illustrated in FIG. 8 the driving system of FIG. 7 issupplemented by the converter 6b. The drive of the axles 22a by the gasturbine 1a is effected through the intervention of the converter 6a and34 as previously outlined with the system of FIG. 7 and the power flowto the axles 22b from the gas turbine 1b is effected through the jointshaft 2b, main transmission driving shaft 3b, pair of gears 4b and 5b,hydrodynamic torque converter 6b, intermediate shaft 9b, directioncontrol sleeve 14b (engaging with 15b), pair of gears 15b and 16b,transmission output shaft 17b, joint shaft 18b, distributingtransmission 19b, joint shafts 20b, and axle transmission 21b.

The embodiment of FIG. 8 which differs from the arrangement of FIG. 6 bythe replacement of the branch coupling 10 by the converter 34 driven bygas turbine la and by the additional provision of converter 6b driven bygas turbine lb, may also be equipped with a branch coupling 10 which isparticularly advantageous for an economic exploitation of the gasturbine power in the upper velocity ranges. Expediently, the branchcoupling 10 which in the embodiments of FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 is driven bythe intermediate shaft 9a may, according to the embodiment of FIG. 9, bedriven by the intermediate shaft 9b.

In view of this difference in the drive of the branch coupling It)according to the system of HG. 9 over the embodiments of FIGS. 2, 5 and6, it will be appreciated that in those conditionsof operation in whichfor the necessary development of pulling power in the coupling range thepower of a gas turbine is sufficient, not the gas turbine 1a but gasturbine lb is taken into operation. The entire driving power of the gasturbine lb will, in such an instance be conveyed to the intermediateshaft 9b through the intervention of coupling 8b. Expediently, half ofthedriving power is, by means of the hydrodynamic branch coupling 10driven by the intermediate shaft 9b branched off and is conveyed throughgears 35, 36 and 37 to the intermediate shaft 9a. The intermediateshafts 9a and 9b each transfer half of the driving power of the gasturbine 1b to the axles 22a and 22b whereby the same driving symmetry isrealized as has been described in connection with the embodiments ofFIGS. 2, 5 and 6.

The distribution of the traction power in the converter range 'asfurnished by the gas turbine 1a will, after driving power of this gasturbine is sufficient, be the same with all illustrated hydrodynamicpower transmission installations.

Theemployrnent of the invention is by no means limited to suchhydrodynamic power transmission plants which, as illustrated in theabove described embodiments of the invention, form a transmission unit.

The hydraulic transmission plant may if resulting in advantages bedivided into a plurality of transmission units if the same can becoupled to each other in such a way that between the same the necessarytorque transmissions can be realized.

A system derived from the embodiment of FIG. 2 and comprising ahydraulic power transmission plant divided into two transmission unitsis illustrated in FIG. 10. Such system differs from the above mentionedembodiment of FIG. 2 primarily by the design of the torque convertingelements of the output of the converter 7 and the coupling 10 to theintermediate shaft 9b. This output drive which in the embodiment of FIG.2 comprises the gears 11, 12 and 13 includes gears 11, 12, 38, the shaft39, joint shaft 40, shaft 41, and the pair of gears 42 and 13.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but alsocomprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a driving system in combination for high output self-propelledrail vehicles as well as for a group of such vehicles coupled together;at least two selectively operable independent sources of power, at leasttwo axles to be driven, power transmission means having respective inputmeans connected to respective ones of said sources of power andrespective output means connected to respective ones of said axles,power transmitting means interposed between said input means and saidoutput means, and control means selectively operable for controllingsaid power transmitting means to control the connection of said inputmeans to said output means whereby with a single :said power source inoperation a greater number of said axles can receive power therefrom asfrom the same power'source with more than one of said power sources inoperation.

2. A driving system in combination according to claim 1 in which saidsources of power are gas turbines as independent driving units havingoutputs capable of only limited control variation.

3. A driving system in combination according to claim 2 in which saidpower transmitting means comprise fluid flow components and said controlmeans comprises means for the selective filling and emptying of saidfluid flow components.

4. A driving system in combination according to claim 2 in which saidpower transmitting means comprise rotary electrically operablecomponents and circuits connected thereto and said control meansincludes switches in said circuits adjustable to make the componentsselectively effective and ineffective.

5. A driving system in combination according to claim 2 in which atleast one of said axles forms a part of a vehicle other than the vehiclein which said sources of power are carried.

6. A driving system in combination according to claim 3 in which saidsources of power include first and second power sources and said axlesinclude first and second axles, said fluid flow components comprisingfirst and second fluid flow devices having their input sides connectedtogether and to said first power source and their output sides connectedto said first and second axles respectively, said fluid flow componentsalso comprising third and fourth fluid flow devices having their outputsides connected to said first and second axles respectively, the inputside of said third fluid flow device being connected to said firstsource of power and the output side of said fourth fluid flow devicebeing connected to the output side of said second fluid flow device,said fluid flow components also comprising a fifth fluid flow devicehaving its input side connected to said second source of power and itsoutput side connected to said second axle.

1. In a driving system in combination for high output selfpropelled railvehicles as well as for a group of such vehicles coupled together; atleast two selectively operable independent sources of power, at leasttwo axles to be driven, power transmission means having respective inputmeans connected to respective ones of said sources of power andrespective output means connected to respective ones of said axles,Power transmitting means interposed between said input means and saidoutput means, and control means selectively operable for controllingsaid power transmitting means to control the connection of said inputmeans to said output means whereby with a single said power source inoperation a greater number of said axles can receive power therefrom asfrom the same power source with more than one of said power sources inoperation.
 2. A driving system in combination according to claim 1 inwhich said sources of power are gas turbines as independent drivingunits having outputs capable of only limited control variation.
 3. Adriving system in combination according to claim 2 in which said powertransmitting means comprise fluid flow components and said control meanscomprises means for the selective filling and emptying of said fluidflow components.
 4. A driving system in combination according to claim 2in which said power transmitting means comprise rotary electricallyoperable components and circuits connected thereto and said controlmeans includes switches in said circuits adjustable to make thecomponents selectively effective and ineffective.
 5. A driving system incombination according to claim 2 in which at least one of said axlesforms a part of a vehicle other than the vehicle in which said sourcesof power are carried.
 6. A driving system in combination according toclaim 3 in which said sources of power include first and second powersources and said axles include first and second axles, said fluid flowcomponents comprising first and second fluid flow devices having theirinput sides connected together and to said first power source and theiroutput sides connected to said first and second axles respectively, saidfluid flow components also comprising third and fourth fluid flowdevices having their output sides connected to said first and secondaxles respectively, the input side of said third fluid flow device beingconnected to said first source of power and the output side of saidfourth fluid flow device being connected to the output side of saidsecond fluid flow device, said fluid flow components also comprising afifth fluid flow device having its input side connected to said secondsource of power and its output side connected to said second axle.